Who Do You Say I Am?

Matthew 16:13–17 NIV

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.

I want to ask you, who do YOU say Jesus is?

This is such an essential question for you to search your heart for. It will determine how to live your life!

Do you serve Jesus with head knowledge, or do you serve Him with heart revelation?

There is a difference between head knowledge and revelation. A person can know who Jesus is or have a revelation of who He is. Head knowledge
occurs in the brain; revelation occurs in the heart.

When you have revelation, that is when your life gets exciting! You know that you know He is the miracle worker, that He is seated at the right hand
of God! You understand that He who lives in you has already conquered the world, and you have a part in that action!!!

Many believers are in the knowledge realm; they dwell in the awareness realm and wonder why the Devil still oppresses them; you must move from knowledge to revelation if you want to experience dominion over the Devil.

Many people possess extensive knowledge about Jesus. They’ve adopted a “celebrity mindset”! Allow me to explain what I’m referring to: These days, many individuals choose to follow celebrities on Instagram or Twitter. They are well-versed in their favorite celebrity’s life, including details about the car they drive, preferred restaurants, and their mannerisms. They keep track of their relationships, whether dating or married. They behave as if the celebrity is their closest friend. However, when you talk with them, it becomes evident that they only know of the celebrity; they don’t know them personally.

In the same way, many people in the church know all about Jesus. They know the stories. They know about the man, but they don’t know Jesus
personally. God wants to change our thinking, to open our eyes and ears. What we know about Him in our heads must move into our hearts.

Revelation knowledge is when you know the person of God instead of just learning facts about Him.

When you begin to experience Jesus, that head knowledge of who He is becomes a revelation in your heart. When you are intimate with Jesus and start to know the person He is, you will live differently. You begin to truly love Him because He loved you first!

To know Jesus is to love Jesus.

1 John 4:16 – So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Friends, let me say that it is impossible to genuinely love or truly trust someone you don’t even know.

John 6:53-58 NIV 53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food, and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

The Bible tells us one of the characteristics of wise men and women is that they constantly seek knowledge. They want to learn more. There is no such thing as growing too much or too fast in understanding God and His Word.

Proverbs 9:9, 9 Instruct the wise, and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous, and they will add to their learning.

Proverbs 18:15, 15 Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge.

Proverbs 23:12, 12 Commit yourself to instruction; listen carefully to words of knowledge.

The Bible provides specific information about God, us, and the world.

We either receive it and submit it or reject it.

We either seek out God’s revelation in the Bible or avoid it. Which pursuit characterizes your life?

I appreciate this pointed application from Don Whitney’s Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life:

“No one is changed by an unread Bible. No one grows into a Godliness he or she knows nothing about. The Word of God must go through our head if it will change our hearts and lives.”

A closed Bible transforms no one because a heart cannot be renewed by knowledge that the head never absorbed. On the other hand, the Christian who dedicates themselves to studying God’s Word will constantly learn to know God better and love God more.

Among all the wonders we are blessed with, one of the most powerful things we have been given is the power of “free will.” I must be honest. There have been many times I have prayed for God to take my free will away. Because I didn’t trust myself to make the right decisions. But God is not going to do that; He doesn’t want a bunch of robots running around; He wants us to come to Him freely, and He wants us to have a relationship with Him. Therefore, we live our lives exercising the power of freedom over our personal choices and decisions. Life is entirely of choices. Every day, God gives us the freedom to choose what we think will be good or best for us. Should I eat the donut or take the protein bar? I will tell you right now that I’m going for the donut. The success and failure of our lives is made up of the little choices we make every day.

For every action, there is a reaction, and for every choice, there is a consequence. Most people do not consider the kind of life God wants them to have. Often, they become distracted by the cares of this world.

Commit to reading the Bible, growing in knowledge, and praying for revelation. God wants you to enjoy the life Jesus paid for you to have.